Something More
by HaxeOrdinary
Summary: If Sirius thought coming back from the veil was a challenge, just wait until he's reunited with Dani. A new story for Sirius and an original character Danielle Afton.
1. The Theory of Chaos

Disclaimer: Nothing recognizable is mine. Except Dani if you've read my stuff before.

Author's Note: This story is dedicated to my beta, becca, who loves Sirius and Dani so much, I felt I needed to write them another story. If you've not read my other Dani/Sirius fics, that's fine--this one has nothing to do with those (btw, I recommend them! How long can you hold your breath? and Six Months to Daylight, the sequel.) If you have read those, then I hope you don't get too confused with between them.

Okay, that's all. Enjoy! _h_

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The Theory of Chaos

Harry stayed still as death as he watched the butterfly staring back at him through beady black eyes. A fair amount of guilt settled in the wizard's stomach as he watched the pale yellow wings beat lazily together; he'd used similar ones in many potions. It seemed a shame now as he watched the little critter that so many had lost their freedom to Snape's retched class. The butterfly, sensing Harry's guilt, walked across the young wizard's leg, stopping its slow fluttering completely.

"At least you can fly away from this place," Harry breathed. His gentle words tickled the butterfly's wings and it shook them off with a tremendous beat of its appendages. Harry instantly felt a cold chill take over his body and dogs began barking all around number four, Privet Drive. Clambering to his feet and pulling his wand from his back pocket, he looked around for the looming threat. Was it Death Eaters? Dementors? The chill was there but he wasn't filled with despair. Surely they wouldn't attack him two summers in a row.

His eyes flickered to his shirt where the butterfly was walking, its black orbs staring at him with an almost curious expression if butterflies could look curious. Just as Harry tilted his head in confusion and wonderment, the insect took flight, circling briefly over his head before gaining altitude and flying from sight. The feelings of unease passed.

Harry ran a hand through his already messy hair. "That was strange."

_----h----_

The tired wizard let out a slow sigh and grinned softly to himself. He was back. Whether it was kismet, shear dumb luck, or the results of a butterfly flapping its wings he didn't care. He was on his third chance at life and nothing—or anybody—was going to ruin it for him.

"Number four, number four…Ah, there it is." He stepped up to the drive and glanced upward to the second floor with a smile where a boy of about fifteen was sleeping with his face planted against the glass. The man wasted no time knocking on the front door, growing anxious with each passing moment that was keeping him from his quest. Finally the door opened; a skeptical, pudgy face with narrow slits for eyes greeted him.

As cheery as he could muster, he explained, "I'm here to claim my godson."

The slits for eyes popped open. "You-you're that Black lunatic—"

"Yes, I am. And if you don't wish your neighbors to know you're consorting with the likes of me, you'd best let me enter."

Uncle Vernon turned his usual shade of puce and stepped back quickly, scanning the street for unwanted eyes before slamming the door shut behind Sirius. The wizard stepped into the main room off the foyer and quietly observed the muggle family, noting that Harry hadn't exaggerated in one detail. Sirius watched the elder Dursley as, despite his huge girth, he maneuvered deftly around the room obviously with the focus of staying as far from Sirius as he could. He sized up the couch where his son sat gaping and then decided on an armchair. Taking his cue from the muggle, Sirius leisurely sank onto the sofa next to Dudley, wasting no time to get comfortable as he draped his arms over the furniture's back, enjoying the exasperated looks from the family.

"The boy said that you were dead. I see it's not beneath him to be labeled a liar as well as a freak."

"Doesn't surprise me," Petunia declared, sitting delicately on the chair's arm that Vernon had flopped into. "Look at his parents."

Sirius took slow, deliberate breaths and said evenly, "I must insist you not speak of Lily and James like that seeing as how I was their best friend and am now in possession of a wand."

Petunia simpered nervously and tried to hide better behind Vernon's stoutness.

"Where is he? Locked in a cabinet somewhere?"

Vernon narrowed his eyes back to a menacing slit, growing angrier as his penetrating gaze had no effect on the other man and bellowed for Harry to come downstairs. Above came a solid thump as if a body fell from a chair followed by resistant footsteps that clunked down the steps.

Not waiting for the young wizard to join them, Vernon began releasing his aggravation with as much heat as he could project. "Is your head filled with so much nonsense that you couldn't spare two words to tell us that one of your kind was coming, Boy? Is that the thanks I get for letting you stay in my house all these years?!"

Harry's disembodied voice replied angrily, "I've had other things on my mind more important than telling you that Professor Dumble—," he stepped into the sitting room and stopped mid-thought, "—Sirius?!"

The elder wizard's face beamed as he climbed to his feet and welcomed a crushing hug from his godson with a chuckle.

"Sirius, you're dead!"

"So I've been told." He held his godson by the shoulders and appraised him with a loving eye. The youth looked older, if at all possible, from just the few weeks prior when Sirius had last seen him. Of course, that was a life and death ago.

"How, I mean, when—"

"There's time for that later, mate. Go get your things."

"Okay! No, wait. Dumbledore's supposed to be coming any moment."

There came a very distinct sputtering of anger from Uncle Vernon's direction.

_-----h-----_

Sirius entered his bedroom later that night with a warm fuzzy feeling in his stomach—something he was having to grow used to again. He had relived the conversation he and Harry had with Dumbledore a dozen times since he left his godson and, with each new time, his smile grew. The thing that really pleased and amazed him was that the wizened professor wasn't at all surprised when the two wizards greeted him at the door.

"_Greetings, Harry, Sirius. Just the two men I needed to see."_

He remembered the twinkle in the old man's eyes, the shock in his godson's and a chuckle escaped his lips again.

The three had entered the living room and joined the Dursleys who were nonplussed by the greeting. _Was returning from the dead a normal thing in the wizard world?_

"Sirius," Dumbledore began, taking a seat, "unfortunately, there was no clause in your will for if you returned to the living. I'm afraid that all your things belong to Harry."

"Good. He can take it. Too many…memories with all that stuff. New life, fresh start."

The three parted some time later, Harry going with the headmaster and Sirius back to Grimmauld Place to pick up a few personal affects.

And that's how he now found himself sitting on his bed for, hopefully, one of the last times. He realized that he'd been wondering, along with all his other thoughts, if his name would be cleared now that he was dead. But since he was dead, or supposed to be dead, perhaps it was better if he changed his appearance completely. He made a mental note to speak with Tonks later.

Looking around his room, he felt indifferent to leaving it. It had its memories, good and bad, but, they were just memories. Staying there wasn't going to bring either back. He threw some clothes in a bag and smiled at the pictures the old gang smiling back at him from the walls. What a difference time had made to the group of once carefree teenagers. His attention turned to a smaller snapshot of girl who his pictured self kept throwing his arms around and spinning off her feet. Dani. His Dani who he'd viciously attacked and hurt for the rest of her life. At least, that was what his ego had him thinking.

But she wasn't without her faults either. After the initial shock of her original betrayal had waned—and yes, she betrayed him first and greatest, he reminded himself—he'd always hoped to be the one to change her back for good; he had yet to be given the chance. He hated to admit it but she still had a good portion of his heart in her hands. Uttering the counter spell to remove it from the wall, he shoved the picture deep into his pocket to take her with him.

If asked, he'd never be able to explain why he wanted to keep her in his memories. She was part of the reason he left home at sixteen all those years ago. Those memories were the very ones of why he was glad to be leaving Grimmauld Place behind. They were the thoughts that most replaced his happy ones when the Dementors wandered by his cell. With a shudder, he tried to push them from his mind but knew he'd have to think them out one last time to see if he could have changed what happened if he wanted to forget them.

With one last long look at the room, he closed the door and left that part of his life behind. It was just a room but, somehow, he felt like everything from now on would never be the same.

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Comments? let me know what you think!

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	2. 29 years earlier

Author's Note:

Thank you saor 31054 for your review! The butterfly refers to something I talked with my beta about. Chaos Theory, or the butterfly effect, refers to a simple event making an extraordinary thing happen. A butterfly flapping its wings could make a hurricane or, in this case, Sirius come back. I didn't want to go too deeply into detail about his return so I guess I cheated in this one aspect.

kat183: thank you too! Your enthusiasm is wonderful. I'm just waiting for my beta to clean my chapters out of her inbox which is merely an excuse because I'm having a bit of writer's block but I'll try to met your request as soon as possible.

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_29 years earlier_

Danielle Afton and Sirius Black were the couple no one at Hogwarts saw coming. Opposites in everything that anyone could think to compare the two in, when they started dating in Sirius' fifth year, Dani's fourth, no one thought it would last. So, when they finally did break up, an event greatly shrouded in mystery that neither spoke of, not even to their closest mates, none of their friends—or even those that only knew of them—were too terribly surprised.

Dani was a smart, intelligent girl that had caught Sirius' eye long before he knew anything about her. The first time he took notice of her she was at the Quidditch pitch practicing with her fellow Ravenclaws for the up-coming match against Slytherin. Her curly, chestnut hair swam wildly behind her as she dove for the quaffle and then launched it through the far right ring, much to her keeper's surprise. Her laugh was what drew his attention to her as he lounged in the stands with the other marauders; it sounded like Christmas bells.

Sirius had to fight for her attention, which also drew him to her. He wasn't used to having to chase the girls but when he did finally catch her, it made it all the sweeter for him. He was the one that taught her how to become an animagus; he was the shoulder she cried on when her parents were killed by the small Giant Revolt when she was fifteen. She was the only one he'd told Remus' secret to knowing she would take it to the grave; she was the only one he'd ever thought about having children with.

Until, that is, she mutilated his heart. The memory of that night still burned in Sirius' mind and while he was locked in his cell at Azkaban, all he had to do was close his eyes and the Dementors would use his mind's stage as a playground to make him relive that horrid night.

_-----h-----_

_Sirius trudged up the last of the steps, munching on his biscuit and pondering why Dani wouldn't answer him when he knocked on her bedroom door to say goodnight. Surely she wasn't still peeved with him over the tea with his mother. And, unless he had really bad fortune, she wasn't wise to the plan that he'd spoken about with his mother. Things should have been perfect but something felt off. _

_Soft words coming from Regulus' room carried to his ears through the open door and he smirked as he realized Dani was in talking to his brother. He'd have to bound in and start up the party, he decided. Stepping closer, however, he realized the dark nature of their whisperings._

"_I finally see my path in life. I've been blind for far too long." _

_Regulus ran his hand down her arm and furrowed his brow. "Are you certain this is what you want?" _

"_Yes," she sibilated, pushing back her sleeve to bare her milky-white forearm. It seemed to glow in the moonlight seeping in through the open window. _

"_And Sirius?" _

_She thought for a moment, "He's made his feelings known to me but what you have to give me is much better." She moved closer to Regulus and rested her arm across his lap, "Do the honors? I'm not really expecting the Dark Lord to grace me with his presence here tonight and I can't wait." _

_Regulus reluctantly pulled out his wand and tapped it against his knee in thought. "Dani, there's no going back." _

"_Why would I want to desert the chosen path? Think of it, Regulus, we'll be the Dark Lord's most trusted advisors! We could be at his right hand when he comes to power!" _

"_The Dark Lord will be pleased," he whispered, touching his wand tip to her arm. The black mark etched and burned into her skin, smoking slightly and coming quickly to life.__ Sirius flinched at the smell of charred flesh but watched with horrified fascination. _

_Gingerly, almost affectionately, she ran her finger over the mark then brought it up to her lips, her eyes dancing at Regulus as she grazed her mouth against the tattoo. _

No!!!!_ Words and thoughts wouldn't form in Sirius' head. His mind was aching, his heart was bursting behind his ribs and he felt that at any moment he'd be sick on the spot. Anger didn't even begin to describe his feelings. Stumbling quietly across the hall to his room, he miraculously found his bed and collapsed on it, the throbbing pains mounting steadily from his mind and heart. He didn't know which hurt more: the fact that she'd been hiding her true feelings all along or that she went behind his back like that.__ Why didn't she tell him? He could have helped her. He would have, wouldn't he? _

_Hours, perhaps days, later, he heard a soft knocking at his door and an intruder slip into his room. His eyes opened to slits and he saw her face illuminated by the moonlight. He wanted to curse her. _

_Standing next to his door, she tucked her arms behind her and looked sheepishly at the floorboards, unable to speak. _

_Sirius finally sat up and ran a hand through his hair hoping to burn her on the spot with his gaze. _

_She finally looked up, tears in her eyes. "Sirius, I don't know what's happening anymore. I—" _

"_I think you know perfectly well what's going on," he said coolly. _

"_But I don't understand it." _

"_Perhaps Regulus can provide you with better answers than I." _

"_Regulus—" _

_He flinched at hearing his brother's name said so sweetly from her lips. _

_She bit her lips together, afraid to continue. _

"_Show me your arm," he demanded quietly. _

"_What?" she gasped. _

"_Show me your arm." He jumped from the bed causing her to jerk backwards. _

"_No. I don't have to show you anything." _

"_Show me your arm, Dani!" _

"_Why?! So you can hurt me?!" _

"_You've already done that to yourself." _

"_What does that mean? Is that a threat for my being here?" _

_His breaths were coming quickly through his nose. _

"_You're scaring me—" _

"_Just get out of here," he commanded, anger flashing red in his eyes. _

_She stumbled against the door, the knob sending a jarring pain from its point of contact at her forearm forcing her to yelp and cradle it to her chest as she frantically groped for the knob, never wanting to take her eyes from his._

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Reviews, comments, help is always appreciated! You know what to do... 


	3. An eagle and dog may fall in love

A/N: thank you again, saor 31054, for the review! I'm glad you're liking it. Encourage fellow readers to review!

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An eagle and dog may fall in love…

-----_h_-----

"Sirius, be a dear and help with the carrots," Mrs. Weasley asked softly as she brought bread out of the oven.

"Sure, Molly." He was experiencing a euphoria he never knew he could feel; his godson was outside playing a pick-up game of Quidditch with his friends, he was in a warm home that reminded him so much of James Potter's house growing up, he was with people he cherished and loved and he hoped he never had to think about that horrible night with Dani again. Even with the war looming on the horizon, he felt invincible, like nothing would destroy his bliss.

"You seem a bit different. Since the incident, I mean."

He loved how she referred to his dying as "the incident" and he always allowed a smirk to light his face. At least, he hoped she was referring to his death and not his coming back to life. One day, he may have to work up the courage and ask her.

"How's that?"

"Like you think anything might be possible."

He chuckled. "I'm trying not to be surprised by too much these days, true, but I think I was always like that. Always a fighting optimist, I think." He glanced over at his distant cousin and noticed she'd let the self-mixing cake batter get sloppy and lump over the sides of the bowl. "Molly? Are you still with me?"

She started and offered a faint smile. "I hope you always keep that fighting optimism, Sirius, no matter who—what comes along."

­----_h----_

Sirius removed the things from his pocket later that night and frowned at the now crumpled picture he pulled out. Dani's pictured face had a white line through it but that didn't hide her smile as his young, pictured self danced her around a bit.

Sinking onto his makeshift bed in the den, he tried to smooth out the tattered picture but found his efforts fruitless. Sighing, he watched the happy couple dance around the photo, running his finger along her arm when she lifted it above her head. "I wonder if James knew when he took this that one day you'd have the Dark Mark scarring your perfect arm. I wonder if I suspected what poison coursed through your perfect body." He settled against his pillows and placed the picture on his chest. "I'm going to find you, luv. And I'm going to make up for lost time but first, I'm getting that thing off your arm."

Tossing and turning, he fell into a dream-riddled sleep, full of memories too painful to think of while awake.

---_h---_

_Sirius stared at the black grime collected in the corner and dared it to move again. He felt certain that the mass had stirred just a bit ago; he would swear it. And he wasn't losing his mind. Not like some of the other nutters in the place that screamed and bemoaned in their nightmares and begged for salvation. Nor like the ones that truly scared him, like his cousin, Bellatrix, who called out to the Dark Lord religiously, singing his praises. _

_The black grime moved again making the wizard turn on all fours and stalk over towards it. "Come out, come out whatever you are. You cannot escape." He stopped a few meters from the corner, not blinking for fear whatever it was would leave. "Come out, my pretty." _

_The shadows danced before him, playing with the moonlight and taunting his sanity. Finally, a stunning eagle hopped from the darkness and over to within inches of his face. _

"_Merlin's beard, you're a sight," he exhaled, stroking the honey brown feathers of her wings. He chuckled as she playfully nipped at his fingers. "I see things haven't changed." _

_Effortlessly, the creature turned into another beautiful being as arms grew from wings, a Cupid's bow mouth from beak, and curly brown locks from feathers as Dani appeared kneeling before him. Tears filled her eyes as she ran a warm finger down his gaunt cheek. Her chin quivering, she whispered, "Sirius, I've missed you." _

_His eyes grew hard and he jerked back from her touch. "When I miss someone I disappear for years, too. And stomp on their heart for good measure" _

"_Sirius, please don't be mad at me. I couldn't come back. I wanted to, to talk about what happened that night--" _

_He sighed, "Don't listen to me luv, it's this place. This…this prison eats away at you. Makes you regret happy thoughts." _

"_I'm a happy thought?" _

_Puzzlement marred his face. "No matter how it ended, Gracie, I loved you with all my being."_

_Her chin quivered again. _

"_You're going to have to stop that, luv. It could bring a man to his knees," he said softly, almost lovingly. He looked at his current position and chuckled, "Figuratively, of course." When she offered a watery grin, his expression darkened. "'Course, that's what you always wanted, wasn't it? For me to follow you? Your beliefs?" _

"_Sirius, please don't. Let's not talk about the past. Don't think about it. Let's just be in the here and now. I just need to be with you." _

_He thought for a moment before nodding his head once; the haze that had clouded his eyes gone as he helped her to her feet_. Why is she here?_ he wondered to himself. _But, do I really care? She's company. And she's beautiful.

_It scared her the way his emotions jumped back and forth so easily in this place but he seemed to be overcoming them the longer she was there. Suddenly, her thoughts drifted and she giggled a bit. _

_Sirius instantly went weak all over. "I've missed that sound. But how could you possibly have any reason to laugh in here?" _

"_I thought of a pressie I'm going to bring you next time. A doggie bed." _

_He growled deep in his throat and lunged at her, trapping her against the wall, covering her gasp with his hand. Her breath was hot against his hand; he quickly pulled it away. "I'm sorry. Old habits." _

"_I understand," she whispered, her crystallizing breath hanging between them. _

_His eyes widened. "They're coming. Go. GO!" _

_Her bottom jaw danced with unsaid words but she agreed, transforming in his arms to her animal form. He carried her to the window and watched as she hopped out and flew away….._

_She sat watching his sleeping form from her perch at the window. His limbs were twitching in nightmares and now and then he'd mumble or moan in his sleep. Dani could sit watching him like this forever remembering a time when things were near perfect. _

_Sirius' ears perked when he heard the soft click of nails on stone. He lifted his smile to the regal bird and moved his legs when she jumped down to the stone slab and switched to her human form. "I was beginning to think the last time was a dream." _

"_I'm sorry. It's hard to get away." _

"_No matter. It's good to see you again, luv." _

"_Thank you for saying that." _

"_I've not had many visitors, as you probably guessed. You're a nice change. No one really wants to see a murderer, especially when they think he killed his best friends." _

"_I know the truth about Wormtail. And, I'll not condone what you did to Peter but I know that you wouldn't hurt Lily and James like that. No matter what happened in the past…" _

"_What do you mean by that?" _

"_Sirius, your mum—" _

"_Was a witch, in every sense of the word." _

"_Yes, but that night, the night we don't speak of, I saw you and your mum…" _

_He stood and ambled to the window, grasping a bar with all his strength to let go of some anger and hurt. "We don't speak of that night for a reason." _

_Nodding, hurt, she took a breath. "I should go. I interrupted your sleep and you look like hell." _

"_I wouldn't call what I do sleep. My mind never turns off in here. I spend most of it as a dog, trying to escape my thoughts. The good ones get warped." _

"_Am I in any of those?...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—" _

"_Why not? Honest question. Yes, actually, you are. At least up to a point. Then the guards come…." _

"_Speaking of, I should probably go." She stood from the stone slab but didn't move to the window. Something told her to wait just a moment longer. _

"_Gracie," he began in a whisper, staring out at the misty night as he let her nickname warm the air, "you know I'm a proud man, was never one to admit when I was wrong or admit I ever needed anyone so know what I mean when I ask you to stay with me. Let me hold on to you while I fall asleep? No hard feelings if you don't." _

"_No." _

"_Of course." _

"_No, I mean I will. No to I won't. Double negative and all." _

_He turned to her, enjoying the mischief in her eyes. "Confounded woman," he breathed, taking a step toward her. _

"_Can't help it." She went to him, grasped his hand and walked him back to the slab; she waited for him to try and find a comfortable position before curling next to his side and tucking his arm around her. _

"_Do you remember that one detention we got after the polyjuice incident?" When he felt her head nodding against his chest, he continued and she blissfully listened. _

_Dani realized how much she'd missed the deep rumble of his voice as he continued to talk; it had the amazing effect of lulling her into a calm she never knew she needed. It was unfair what had happen, what evil had done to her and him. What would have happened if he hadn't given in? Where would the two of them be today? _

_She realized that Sirius was breathing steadily, having succumbed to the overwhelming need for peaceful sleep. His arm tightened around her as he slipped into the realm of dreams, perhaps including her. "Please," she supplicated, "please, let them be happy ones." She moved his face towards her with a finger and placed a sweet kiss on his lips. "Sweet sleep, luv."…. _

_His ears twitched at the sound of her beating heart, enjoying the fact that it quickened once she landed—she had always enjoyed forbidden adventure. He changed back into his human form and waited for her to do the same. Her smile grew from her beak as she crossed the room. "Back so soon?" _

"_Last time you left something to be desired. You're lucky I gave you a second chance. Or is this the third? Fourth?" She smiled._

"_Well, it's not like I'm going anywhere." _

_She sadly ran a finger along the filth-encrusted bars. "It's a shame you didn't pick a smaller animal; you could slip right through these bars if you had." _

"_But even you say I belong here for what I did to Wormtail." _

"_I said I wouldn't condone it. But what he did to Lily and James is unfathomable." _

_Sirius was perplexed as he watched her stroll around his tiny hovel. _Why would a death eater not think it grand that Lily and James were dead?

_And then, she explained. "The deepest level of hell is reserved for mutineers and betrayers. __Wormtail was a betrayer."_

"_Betrayers, hunh? Where does that leave you and me?" _

"_There is no you and me, as far as I know." _

"_Why do you come here then?" he asked, addressing the sidestep she'd taken to his question. _

"_Well, I guess—" _

"_No guessing, Danielle. You know exactly why." He stepped toward her and enjoyed how like prey she became. _

_Slowly she backed toward the cell door, her eyes trained on his. "You always were so arrogant." _

"_Admit it, luv. No matter what roads you've gone down in life, you always want to find the one back to me." _

_She gasped as her back hit the bars. "You're not exactly turning me away." _

_He trapped her against the rails, clutching tightly to the two directly behind her, his arms locked against her ribcage. _

_She tilted her face toward his shoulder enjoying the sensation of his hot breath on her cheek. _

"_I always liked the trouble girls." _

_Her gaze shot to his. "Me? Trouble? Just trying to live up to your standards, I s'pose." _

_He maneuvered his head to match hers, knowing they fit together like corresponding puzzle pieces. Joy. That's what this sensation was but then the niggling ideas of doubt and sorrow snaked into his mind. "You're the one that befriended Snivellus. You are two of a kind, aren't you? Maybe the two of you have gone off and spawned a death eater or two."_

"_Prat."_

_He closed his eyes knowing what that idea was born from. Joy being eaten away by Dementors. And if Dani brought him joy, he had to protect her. "I'm sorry."_

"_I know," she whispered against his mouth._

"_We can't do this. Not after the way things ended. And not here." _

"_But I trust you here. I don't have to hide who I am. Here, I feel safe from you." _

"_And just what does that mean?" he asked playfully. _

_She shrugged and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm here because we need each other. For better or worse, no matter what's happened apart, we'll always find each other."_

"_Promise?" He asked, capturing her mouth before she could respond…. _

_Sirius' head snapped up from the paper he was reading as she transformed into her human form. He was so lost in thought he hadn't noticed the bird slipping easily through the bars of his cell as she'd done dozens of times before. _

"_Hullo, Sirius." He grunted his reply. It had been one of his rougher days, she deduced. "Sirius, luv, talk to me. Don't I make things better?" _

_Pushing himself quickly to his feet, he paced to the window and leaned against the grimy bars. "You have an awfully high opinion of yourself." _

"_Sirius, surely you don't mean—" _

"_Yes. Once again let's blame all the pain in the world on the Dementors. No one else could surely cause despair." _

_Dani felt sucker-punched. "Well, I guess I…what?" _

_Sirius slowly shook his head, never removing his eyes from the murky, turbulent sea out the window. _

_Stepping closer to him, Dani rested her hand on his arm which he quickly wrenched away, stepping to the far corner. "Sirius, talk to me." _

"_I'm sick of talking." _

_Chewing on her bottom lip in thought, she wondered how she could improve his attitude. Then, inspiration seemed to hit. "Harry turns thirteen this year. I wonder how much like his father he is?" _

"_Don't speak of him or Lily and James," he snapped. _

_She stumbled back as if doused with ice water. "What? Why?" _

"_You know why. I let you come here because you're my only human contact that hasn't gone completely insane yet. You've been fun to use but something to never keep. I still know what you are. You're complete filth!" _

_Her gaze was daggers and spears. "Oh, I am?! Who's the one foolish enough to be thrown in Azkaban? Answer me that one, O Great Marauder. Make you a map outta this place!" _

"_You like that I'm in here, admit it! You take some perverse pleasure in the fact that I killed someone. A lot of some ones, in fact!" _

"_Are you insane? What has this place done to you?" _

"_Just get out of here. I never want to see your face again." _

_She stomped to the window but stopped short, hurt and frustrated. "I'm going away, Sirius. You'll get your wish; you'll probably never see me again. I can't do this anymore. I can't fight." _

_The silence between them was so loud that it shut out all the wailing from the other prisoners. _

"_So be it." _

_She turned her back, her shaking shoulders not lost on him, transformed and left. The silence that followed was greater than what preceded. _

_Then, menacingly from across the hall, came a wicked voice. "Blackie 'urt 'is little girlfriend, di'n't 'e?" _

_Sirius ground his teeth so hard he was surprised they didn't shatter. The lunatic across the way was placed just before Dani's last visit and had threatened to alert the Dementors to her presence so they could give her a kiss of their own. He hadn't wanted it to end, especially like that, but he had to keep her safe and angering her was the only way to keep her away. _

"_Crying over there, Blackie?" _

_He growled and snatched the paper from the floor where it had fallen and flipped it over to see a picture of a family, obviously all red-headed and mostly boys—tall boys—staring back at him. The youngest male caught his eye or more exactly the animal he was showing off. "I don't believe it. It…it can't be. _It can't_!" he yelled and followed it with an outburst of anger that was so intense and feral that even the most vicious of Azkaban's occupants flinched from the scream. Panting and forgetting about the pain of Dani trumped by inhuman rage, he roared, "He's at Hogwarts. He's at _Hogwarts_!" _

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_Review please? I could really use it!_


	4. With all this rowing

With all this rowing, surely we'll get somewhere

---h---

Sirius heard voices before he opened his eyes. Not wanting to have to gather eggs or do dishes or a hundred other chores, he kept his lids shut and listened.

"_You heard him—he was practically screaming her name all night." _That was Arthur, definitely.

"_I don't care. I'm not telling him. _I_ have to be with him all day. Plus, I don't want to ruin his time with Harry." _Molly.

"_Don't you think one of the kids might let it slip?"_

"_They don't know their connection. Remus and we are the only ones that do. Remus should be the one to tell him how it happened."_

"_It could be weeks before Remus comes by."_

"_One can hope."_

"_He will find out about Dani. It's inevitable."_

"_I hope that day never comes."_

_----h----_

Sirius lay in the grass later that day, his hands folding behind his head, moping and thinking about what he had heard the Weasleys talking about earlier that morning. _Was his Dani dead? _A gut-gripping pain rocketed through his stomach and he saw spots before his eyes as the thought that she was killed in a battle of good and evil flashed in his mind. _What if Remus was the one to kill her? _His face turned sickeningly white and an unnatural line of perspiration dotted his forehead. Giving up the fight, he tossed his breakfast.

"Mrs. Weasley said this will make you feel better," Harry said later in the den, handing his godfather a cup of tea. Sirius looked up at him, very much seeing James in his countenance, and took the proffered cup. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"About what? It's just a touch of the flu." But he could tell that he wasn't convincing his godson at all. "Call it leftovers of coming back to life. I'd say I wasn't feeling…or acting like my old self but then, I'm a new man, aren't I?"

Harry knit his brow. "I suppose. I hope you feel better later. Ginny was telling me about a really fun Order member who's coming to visit tonight. Maybe you can get us all the information Mr. and Mrs. Weasley won't tell us."

Sirius nodded. "Sure thing, mate." He watched Harry leave and turned his attention to the fireplace where a joyful blaze crackled back at him. He was finding it easier and easier to focus on the dull achiness that hadn't quite left his chest from his days in Azkaban and was slowly realizing where it came from. He knew he'd hurt Danielle but, now that he was out, he wanted to explain to her why he'd been so horrible during that last meeting in Azkaban. Until then, he'd never be able to get rid of the tension across his chest and, depending on if she was still alive, that may never happen.

It had been hours of staring before a commotion broke out in the next room telling Sirius that Order members were arriving. _Order members, _he thought, remembering the days just after school, _how times have changed. I used to be the young, feisty generation and now, I'm part of the supporting troops._ Sirius knew he should greet the visitors but didn't feel he had the energy to talk about old times with anyone.

The door flew open and he looked up from his fire gazing and smiled at Harry. "Back so soon?"

"Come join the party, Sirius."

"Maybe in a bit. It sounds like you're having fun in there."

"Yeah. She really livened things up in there. She reminds me a bit of Ginny and Hermione rolled into one."

"Who?" The door creaked open and Sirius felt his heart leap to his throat. "Dani? It_ can't _be. Dani, I—," he sucked in his words as Danielle walked into the room. She wasn't alone.

"Sirius, it's nice to see you again. I'd like you to meet my son."

_-----h-----_

Sirius felt like his insides were being pulled apart by centaurs as he tried his hardest to shutter them away. Seeing Dani put a joy in him that he never expected to feel again but it was quickly attacked by vicious jealousy determined to destroy all thoughts of happiness or forgiveness. Hurt and hate flooded his heart as he looked at the woman, then contempt and pain as he looked at the boy.

The little tyke that clung to her cloak had a mop of dark brown hair worn in shaggy curtains around a heart-shaped face and gray thoughtful eyes. With the way he clung to her so tightly, Sirius had no problem deducing that he belonged to the only woman Sirius had ever loved. The father, on the other hand, was a little harder to determine.

"Is he mine?" he asked spitefully, standing to his full height.

Danielle exhaled slowly through her nose trying to control her anger. She wasn't going to let him do that to her, let him imbue her honor even if he was implicating himself in his accusation. "No. Last time I checked, it took more than fervent kissing to produce a child."

"Is he Snivellus'?" he asked.

Fiery daggers shot from her eyes. "So what if he is? Would it make him less than human?"

"No. But I'd feel sorry for him with a git for a father like that!"

"What would it matter to you who the father was? You made it perfectly clear to me years ago what you thought of me and don't think I forgot!" She picked up her son and handed him to Harry. "Please take him to the kitchen," she requested, waiting for Harry to hastily leave the room before continuing with her fight. "I can't believe you would act so childish. My son is more mature than you are!"

"Is that so? Well, it didn't keep you from coming back to me all those times. What does that say about you?"

She wiped the palm of her hand across her forehead and huffed, "That I'm a fool for thinking I could change you."

"Mummy, Mummy!" her pint-sized son came bounding through the kitchen door and latched onto her side. "Come to dinner! Ms. Weezle fixed purple eggs and Harry made the toast fly!"

The spell holding Sirius seemed to break and he blinked several times, releasing the tension that had built in his stomach.

Dani held Sirius' gaze as she replied, "Coming, sweet," then left the room.

He callused again, hurt by the fact that his Gracie had gone and had a child that wasn't his. _Was he Snape's? Could the man actually have _that_ much compassion for someone that he'd be willing to tie himself to a kid for the rest of his life? _And what if the boy wasn't Snape's as Sirius thought was the case. Who _was_ the father and was he good or evil or just like Danielle?

Dani stopped just through the door to the kitchen and fell against the wall, her shoulders shaking from sobs. _How could Sirius' love turn to such hate for me, _she wondered, wiping at her eyes with her shirt sleeves.

"Mummy? Mummy, what's wrong?"

She sucked in a breath and offered a watery smiled. Realizing that the others in the kitchen were trying their hardest not to act interested but knowing they were, she wiped her face clear of emotions and decided to deal with the pain later. "Nothing, sweet. Let's eat."

A couple days passed with only a few incidences between the ex-loves, for Dani had taken to coming out of Ginny's room only when she needed or when she knew Sirius was occupied elsewhere. She hadn't realized what seeing him would do to her insides and she hated how he could still make her stomach feel like she was on a broom for the first time. The times they had crossed paths had ended in a shouting match that only stopped when someone came along and requested they move elsewhere.

One of the more vicious arguments involved Sirius yelling at the top of his lungs across the breakfast table that now that he was out of Azkaban he didn't have to act like he wanted her in the same room or even country because there were people that he actually cared for around him all the time. Her gaze had become glassy and she picked up her son, taking him outside. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence.

Sirius had noticed that when the boy was in the room with them, Danielle tried her hardest to control her temper, which he enjoyed exploiting as much as he could. Mentally, he started keeping score, as well, which eventually blew up in his face.

What he hoped would be his greatest victory was the night previous, just after dinner when the tyke was curled up on the couch next to Danielle as she was reading. The clash blew completely up in his face but he hadn't decided if that was a good thing or not. He knew she would settle in his makeshift bedroom after dinner to be alone with her kid and had been running thoughts through his mind all during the meal in preparation that would hurt her the most.

He was in for a shock.

"So tell me," he said, leaning against the mantel across the room from her. "The Dark Mark—was the Pipsqueak born with one or will he have to coward out like all the others that have it?"

Danielle set her jaw and refused to answer. Instead, she turned a loving gaze to her son and brushed some wayward hair from his cheek.

Sirius frowned and tried to stomp out the flood of memories that watching that touch brought to mind. He had little success.

"I mean, with his father who he is and all, it wouldn't surprise me if he gave it to him the day he was born. Snivellus was there, wasn't he? Or did he abandon you like I think he did?"

Scooping up her son, she turned her back to Sirius and bit back her tears. "I don't want to see the satisfaction on your face hearing me say that _Severus_ isn't his father but I hope that if I meant anything to you at one time, no matter what's happened between us since then, that you'd at least take out your anger on me and leave my son out of this. He's only a child."

"The child of death eaters."

"What?" she asked, spinning around slowly.

"You and Snivellus—"

"Stop calling him that!" she ordered, sliding her son into the surprised arms of Ron as he and Hermione entered the room. Knowing there was to be another row, the two quickly left the room. "He's not his father."

"Either way, you two are going to get us all killed," Sirius explained coldly.

"And how is it that we're more qualified to do that than your suicidal tendencies?" she asked, thrusting her hands on her sides.

"Two death eaters, no matter how good they claim to have become, no matter how remorseful they seem to be for past mistakes, at the end of the day they're still death eaters."

"Has someone hit you with a confundus charm? Severus is the only double agent we have."

"Then explain this," he rushed over to her and shoved back her sleeve. Seeing the bare skin on her forearm, he pushed back her other sleeve and found the flesh there also milky white and void of markings. "Where is it?"

"What, Sirius?" she said innocently.

"Your Dark Mark. I saw it on you, that night of our fight. That night we broke up….The first time, I mean."

"I've never had nor will ever have a Dark Mark tattooed on my body."

"But I saw it…."

Dani thought for a moment. She had every right to be angry with him but found herself making excuses for him. "Like I saw you, talking with your mom about converting me to the ranks of the Dark Lord?"

He blanched. "You know I'd never say such a thing."

"Just like I'd never follow the Dark Lord. Just like I'd never have the Dark Mark."

"I can't believe after all this time…Dani, I—" his words failed in his throat.

But her bitter words wouldn't stop. "So all this time, you thought—you thought I was a death eater. All this time, you went on believing that I was capable of such a horrible thing. Did you not love me enough to ask me?"

He stuttered but couldn't form any intelligent words.

"And just when I thought my heart couldn't break anymore," she whispered. Tears slipped down her cheeks and she stumbled backwards from him, out of the room and collapsed at the kitchen table.

Hearing her sobs in the next room, Sirius sank onto the couch and immediately regretted it when a plume of her amazing scent tickled his nose. He hung his head in his hands and felt a rush of all the bad memories coming back to drown him.

He didn't get much sleep that night and the next day he walked around in a dazed state. It wasn't much of a surprise to him when he found his eyelids impossibly heavy that afternoon; his head dropped against his chest making him completely oblivious to any intruder that came to spy on him.

A short time later, that very thing happened.

The little boy looked up at the man and thought him funny. And hairy. Soft snores filled the room, dying in the warm drapes and threadbare rugs making the child giggle. He'd never seen a man sleeping before, or anyone else besides his mum, and he was interested to see just why the man was making those sounds. Clambering into the seat beside him, he poked Sirius a few times in the stomach and when that didn't stop the noise, he slid over onto his lap, placing his head on the man's chest. The noises stopped, letting the room plunge back into silence. The boy pressed his ear tighter to Sirius' chest, listening to his heart beat faster, the snores quickly forgotten.

"What's that? Does it stop?"

"Only once," rumbled Sirius' voice deep within his chest.

The child's head shot up; the color drained from his face. "Really?"

"And it's been broken a few times. But I hope it keeps thumping for awhile."

"Is that what was making that roaring noise?"

"Roa--." Sirius stopped and let out a peal of barking laughs that almost launched the little boy off his lap and he wrapped his arms around him to keep him from falling. "I s'pose your mother doesn't snore."

"Snore? What's that?" he asked in all his innocence and it hit Sirius like a horntail dragon's tail.

The little boy before him didn't deserve his resentment or pain; he had nothing to do with it. It was ridiculous to say hateful things about him, beyond childish even, which was saying something for the wizard that never seemed to grow up. In fact, if Sirius thought long enough about it, he could even see bits of James or Harry or even himself in the little pipsqueak. Despite himself, he'd been watching the kid since his arrival and realized that the little peanut had grown on him.

"I'll tell you later, pips--," but he stopped. He wasn't really a pipsqueak anymore. Then Sirius' ears perked to Dani in the next room talking to Molly. "I'll tell you later, Pip. But right now I think you should scoot. Go to your mum."

The little boy scrambled from his lap and offered a sweet, face-splitting grin and scampered off to the kitchen, leaving Sirius to hang his head in thought. He found himself doing that far more than he was used to.

---_h---_

Walking into the kitchen, Sirius felt the unsettled dragon wake in his stomach and burn his chest with its fiery breath as his eyes rolled between Dani at the sink who hadn't seen him and the boy who was playing with Ron's Wizard's Chess pieces at the table. He walked over to Pip and knelt down next to him, watching as he played with a knight and pawn. Softly, Sirius requested, "Why don't you go help the gang with the gnomes?"

The little boy's eyes widened and he turned to Dani. "C'n I?"

Dani looked from Sirius to her son and then smiled her consent, feeling joy as he happily traipsed out the kitchen door and into the yard, letting Ron ruffle his hair when he arrived. She loved that boy with everything she was and had fought to protect him from the horrible world beyond the limits of the Burrow and Sirius threatened to collapse that delicate wall with his hate and bitterness.

Sirius came over beside her and toed the threadbare rug by the sink, struggling with how to say what he wanted. "Everyone seems to know him but me. What's his name?"

"He goes by R.J., after his father."

Something woke in the back of Sirius mind but he ignored it. He leaned against the counter next to her and watched as the little boy chased Ginny around the yard. "R.J.? What does that stand for?"

"Does it matter?" she asked innocently, keeping her voice calm. "Look, I'm tired of having a row every time we talk. You told me how you feel and I had to accept that a long time ago. It truly hurt, Sirius. So forgive me for not being the host of your welcome home party."

"They're throwing me a party?"

Dani groaned, pained by the humor that she so fully loved and walked out to the garden.

"So, no to the party?" He shouted at her though not getting an answer. He truly didn't wait for one, however, because he was lost in thought. "R.J….. R.J.? Why is that so familiar?" His attention turned to the yard where Dani had scooped up her son and was blowing raspberries against his cheek earning a fit of giggles from the little tyke. Harry grabbed the kicking boy's feet and laughed as R.J. howled from his feet being tickled. Sirius couldn't believe that they all loved the boy so much. _Didn't they know what he represented? _ But even he couldn't ignore the soft spot growing in his heart for the boy.

A soft pop out of view made him jump and he smiled when his cousin Tonks stepped through the garden gate followed by another soft pop and a wizard who closed the gate behind him.

"Wotcher, Harry."

"No," Sirius breathed, his face growing dark. "It's not possible."

"Hullo, gang," Remus' voice carried through the open window as he walked over to the clump of people and tweaked a released R.J. on the cheek.

Sirius, the dragon fully awake within him, stormed through the kitchen door, his feet slamming hard against the ground sending shockwaves through his body.

Remus J. Lupin never saw it coming. Sirius marched right up to his greatest mate and slugged him squarely on the jaw. Caught off guard, Remus stumbled back into Tonks who flopped onto the ground, her hair turning instantly red. Grabbing Remus by the front of his sweater, Sirius wrestled the other man to the ground and slammed his fist into his friend's jaw again, ignoring the pain as his knuckles opened.

Forcefully, he was ripped to his feet, a set of arms around each of his holding him back. He struggled against Ron and Harry's grip but was forced to watch as Dani attended to Remus' injuries, R.J. cowering behind Ginny and Hermione. He knew he should feel sorry for making the boy see that but his emotions were far too raw, rage being the chief of them, to worry about other people's feelings.

Appraising her felled friends, Danielle was relieved to see that Tonks was just upset and Remus would survive though, not without deep bruises to show for the scuffle. Helping Remus to his feet, she turned to Sirius and uttered coolly, "You git," as they passed him.


	5. Why couldn't I stay dead?

So sorry for the delay in finishing poting this. I might have mentioned but this story is done I was just waiting for my beta's life to calm down. As it is, it hasn't so from here on out, nothing's beta'ed but I desperately want to get it posted. A big thanks to EmSyd who commented on it to remind me about it. Hope you enjoy the rest!

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Why couldn't I stay dead?**

---_h---_

"Are you calm now?"

"Harry, if you ask me that again I'm going to shove this gnome in your ear."

"With talk like that, you're never going to be allowed inside again."

Grumbling quietly, he took a deep breath and nodded. "I promise, I'm calm," he said, flinging the poor gnome violently across the fence.

"Sure you are," Harry mumbled, following him into the Burrow's kitchen.

The small group that was sitting at the table grew quiet at Sirius' entrance. Remus lifted the ice from his jaw to show off the red welts there. "Payback for all the scratches in our school days?" he quipped, replacing the ice with a wince.

"I know exactly what this was ruddy about," Dani exclaimed, snuggling her son close.

"This never would have happened if you'd just told me his name! I mean his _real_ name!"

"How was I supposed to know that you'd think R.J. was Remus' son?!"

"_R.J._ Gee, I wonder how I could possibly think that. If you'd just _told_ me—"

"Don't you dare blame this on me!" She ordered, climbing to her feet and placing R.J. in her chair.

"Why shouldn't I?! R.J. should be my son!"

She sucked in her breath. So there it was.

Sirius rolled his head around on his shoulders and closed his eyes as he groaned. _Bloody brilliant, Black. _

"And when would that have happened?!" her words ripped him from his anguish. "After you ripped my heart out when you thought I became a death eater but before you got thrown in Azkaban for killing all those people?"

"Danielle," Remus chided, "we all know he's innocent."

Dani threw out her arm, narrowly missing Remus' shoulder. "Perhaps during that last time I came to Azkaban when you absolutely shattered my heart! _AGAIN_!"

Sirius jerked back, shocked. "Is that what this is? _Revenge_?! Did you even wonder if I might have done that for your safety? Did you think about how much it would have destroyed me if the Dementors came along and gave you your last kiss instead of me? I had to keep you away! You're too stubborn to just listen to me!"

"_Me _too stubborn?" she shouted though she was losing some of her vinegar. The wheels had started going too fast in her mind for her mouth to keep up. "How about you? Why couldn't you have just asked me about my joining the death eaters instead of acting the way you did?!"

"Dani, I was hurt," he practically yelled, giving the words no value. "I didn't exactly see you putting up a fight that last visit to Azkaban when you told me I'd never see you again. What was I? One good fling before you went off and married? It wasn't like you had any competition for me! What does R.J.'s father think of that?!"

"He doesn't think anything. He's dead," she whispered, scooping up her son and running upstairs.

Sirius felt like he'd been the one pummeled by his best friend. He sank into an empty chair next to Molly and suddenly realized there were still other people in the room; Ginny and Hermione were trying their hardest to keep their eyes turned toward their hands; Ron sat between them, rubbing the back of his neck and looking at the ceiling; Tonks and Remus, who had been sitting across from them, stood slowly and went after Dani; Harry just sat there, studying his godfather in bewilderment.

"Stop looking at me," Sirius ordered softly. "I didn't know."

"Maybe you should _talk_ to her before _shouting_ accusations in front of R.J., Sirius. Or before you start hitting your friends." Molly chastised, wringing the towel in her hands.

"Maybe," Sirius responded blandly, standing and walking to his room. He seemed to hear a collective breath from the table as he left and he finally started to realize the pain that he'd held so tightly too for so long wasn't anger directed at Dani but anger with himself.

He was so sure in his narrow-mindedness that he'd completely screwed up his entire life. Things of this world weren't black and white, good and evil like he tried to make them—he completely glazed over that fact and focused only on his righteous beliefs. How could he think that Dani could go from the sweet, loving girl that he gave his heart to, to a woman who would do anything to scorn him? He knew how—his brilliant mind that he never used anymore. He had become so jaded to the world after the betrayals of his mother and brother and then Wormtail that he didn't see he was turning the same hate on people he thought he was fighting.

Later that night, he found Remus and Tonks talking quietly at the kitchen table. Upon seeing her cousin, Tonks quickly stood and went upstairs to find the other girls in the house, her anger evident as her hair turned red.

"Remus, old friend, I am truly sorry."

The werewolf popped his jaw a few times and replied, "Call it even for all the scrapes I've caused you over the years."

Sirius looked down at his mended hand from punching Remus and shook his head. "I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you without first finding out about a lot of things, including R.J.."

"Padfoot, you and I both know you've always acted before thinking. Why would you change now?"

"But I have been thinking. That's all I've been doing since I came back from the veil. It intensified when I saw her….I can't believe she betrayed me."

Remus nodded slowly and inquired, "Is that what you think happened?"

"Whatever fancy package you put it in, it's still betrayal. She gave her heart to another man."

Standing, the tired wizard touched his friend on the shoulder and said, "If I've learned anything about that woman it's that she'll go to the ends of the earth for the people she loves or even once loved. I think you should show her the same courtesy."

Watching Moony leave, Padfoot weighed his friend's words heavily and remembered a time just like Remus had said.

----_h----_

_30 years earlier_

Dani pushed clingy hair from her face before transferring the rest of the Dragon's blood from the red hot cauldron to the test tubes. Why this had to be done by hand she didn't know but she wasn't one to question a professor's directions. Taking off her dragon's hide gloves and wiping at her forehead again, she became aware of an argument brewing in the next dungeon and knew exactly who was involved. Peeking her head around an old cabinet, she watched as Sirius Black paced like a dog hunting prey in front of a table which separated him from Severus Snape.

"What are you saying, Snivellus?"

"I'm saying that I don't believe you have the courage to drink the potion, Black."

Sirius straightened. "No amount of courage will save me when that potion you brewed kills me."

"You dimwitted oaf, if you could revive your brain for a moment you might remember that we made this together. And regardless of Professor Slughorn's lapse in judgment in making us test it on one another, you were the one rightly chosen to sample it."

Sirius' eyes narrowed. "You probably put bits of you in there, didn't you?"

Snape's voice was punctuated with disdain. "Why would I want you to turn into me? I cannot think of anything worse in the world."

"Girl bits, then? Perhaps hoping that one more in the world, for however brief a time, would better your chances to land one?"

"For one who is always so cocky, it amazes me how much of a coward you truly are. What do you think those gits that hang all over you would think if they knew? I, like everyone else, selected a hair from Professor Slughorn's desk. I've already transformed—"

"But you sampled Lupin's potion. He's a tad more trustworthy—"

"I do not think it wise for you to be speaking of who is trustworthy or not. Now, if I trusted that were—I mean _hair,_ then you can trust this."

Dani finally stepped from her hiding place and approached the two prats, frustrated by their bickering. Truthfully, it was the most she'd ever known them to say to each other but it was hardly café chat. "Boys, boys, what are you going on about?"

Snape's eyes flickered to the girl and then back to his nemesis. "It seems Black here would like to spend the rest of his unprolific life standing and debating this rather mundane assignment."

Dani asked, "Mundane? It seems much more advanced than what we're learning. 'Tis it?"

"Polyjuice potion," Sirius said through clenched teeth, his eyes trained on Snape's.

"Ahh, lucky duckies. The most exciting thing we've been allowed to make was Amortentia," she grinned when she earned Sirius' attention at the mention of the love potion, "and that's because we challenged Slughorn's ego. It's funny what men will do when they aren't using their heads."

"For some that's more frequent than others, it appears," Snape uttered.

"Perhaps I can sample it first so you trust it, Sirius," she said, lifting the green substance before her and thinking better of taking a big whiff. "Be the royal food taster, as it is."

Sirius grinned when he saw the tiniest flicker in Snape's composure. "Perhaps you should."

She shrugged and lifted the glass to her mouth, her lips clamped shut as she tilted the glass.

Sirius reached for her, yelling, "NO!" but his outburst shocked her, causing her to gasp down some of the chunky, pungent liquid. He didn't envy her the discomfort that would follow drinking the potion; it wasn't her grade at stake, after all.

Dani crumpled against the table with a jolt, pain contorting her face. "Something's wrong, I think!"

The color dropped from Sirius's face just as the goblet did from Dani's hands as she grasped the counter. Sirius took her shoulders in his hands and shook her slightly, "You silly girl! What were you thinking?!"

Coughing, she argued, "I wasn't _really_ going to drink it! What do I care if you fail!" the last coming out more screechy than her normal voice.

He turned his full anger on Severus. "Snape, what hair did you use?"

Breathing shallowly, Snape stared at the goopy mixture on the floor and frowned. "What was on Professor Slughorn's desk, of course."

Dani's arms and legs began to change, forcing her to her knees. Sirius crumpled to his beside her, his arms closing tighter around her wriggling body.

"I don't recall anyone else reacting this way to the potion!"

The soft pinkish hue of her skin giving way to a milky gray, her chestnut hair growing stringy and changing to a forest color, she locked pleading hazel eyes that were quickly turning yellow with Sirius's gray ones. Writhing fiercely in his arms, Dani gave in as the last of the transformation dominated her. Looking down at her newly developed tail sticking out from under her robes, her gray skin drying even in the damp dungeon and green locks hanging in her face, Danielle let out an eardrum shredding shriek that made cauldrons rattle on tabletops.

Sirius promptly slapped his hand over her mouth, propping her back against him and shooting daggers and lances at the pale Slytherin staring down at them. "She can't breathe air for long. We need to get her to water."


	6. What's Mermish for ticked off?

Thank you for the reviews!! As for what Dani turned in to, check the third paragraph to come. Enjoy!

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Sirius promptly slapped his hand over her mouth, propping her back against him and shooting daggers and lances at the Slytherin staring down at them. "She can't breathe air for long. We need to get her to water."

"The lake—"

Sirius fought to keep his hand in place as her webbed fingers grasped desperately at it. "Obviously the lake is off-limits. We don't want her coming across real merpeople and it's too far."

"Precisely. I'm merely trying to figure out where's best—"

"While that brain of yours thinks, she's suffocating!"

"I don't suppose you know the way into the prefects' bathroom."

Sirius grunted in response and took his hand away from Dani's mouth one finger at a time, satisfied that she seemed more worried about her growing inability to breathe air than yelling at them. He knew from his Care of Magical Creatures class that mermaids could breath air for a little while but not long, and knew he needed to act fast. Hooking an arm under her knees and shoulders, he deftly lifted her and hurried from the dungeon, Snape trudging along behind them.

They made it up a floor, wasting precious time checking that they were alone before Dani grew still in his arms, her breath becoming raspier with each gasp. Snape stepped ahead of them, ambled up the steps, and hurried down the hall before Sirius stopped him.

"Stop. There's a shortcut." He motioned with his head at a tapestry and Snape hurried back and pushed it aside. "I've got it from here. Scurry off before I tell Professor Dumbledore what you did."

"I will not continue defending my innocence to the likes of you," Severus sneered.

They continued the rest of the way in silence mainly due to the fact that they were running now and Sirius was breathing fiercely from the added weight in his arms. She was still roughly the same length, perhaps only gaining a few inches in her tail, but had turned fully to muscle; muscle was heavy and complete deadweight in his arms. He struggled up the next set of stairs and pointed to another secret passageway, heaving her higher to get a better grip and ignoring the stitch in his side. Glancing down, he saw that she was doing everything she could not to panic and conserve what little oxygen she had left; his jostling her wasn't helping either of these efforts.

Finally, they turned the last corner on the fifth floor. Sirius shouted the password and the portrait swung away. Depositing her in the large bathtub, he kicked on all the taps and doubled over in exhaustion; his legs had sufficiently turned to jell-o.

"Next time," Severus began, breathing hard, "perhaps we should use a levitation charm."

Sirius lifted his head and looked through his curtain of hair. "Planning on…trying to…sabotage me again, Snape?"

"I was merely saying that it would be wise in the future for you to use that brain, however small, to think before you act."

Sirius dropped on his knees and watched as Danielle took long breaths under the water, her face planted against the cold blue tile and her eyes closed.

"Should we take her to Madam Pomfrey?"

"No! We'll all be in trouble then!"

"As opposed to just the fish?"

"Sod off, Snivellus." Sirius reached into the water and tucked some of her wispy hair behind her ear, knowing it wouldn't stay; it earned him an icy yellow stare from the mermaid. "We'll just wait the hour out for her to change back. If she doesn't…we'll go from there."

Bubbles started coming to the surface and Sirius lowered his head below the water.

"You can pass along the message to Severus that I'm going to hex both of you mangy gits when I turn back into my old self," she spat huskily. "And why don't I still have my normal voice!! And it's much too hot in here, are you trying to boil me?! Turn off the warm water!"

Throwing his head back and letting water fling from his hair, he bit back his amusement to the situation as Snape shrank from the shower. Complying about the taps, he turned the warm off and explained, "She's really ticked off at you, Snivellus, and can't wait to tell Professor Dumbledore. I suppose you'll be kicked out of school. Oh, and she's going to hex you."

The Slytherin stood stone-faced having tuned out the last comment. As much as he despised Black and wished to do him harm, he would never make such an egregious mistake that would point directly back to him. Lost in thought, he hurried from the room oblivious to Sirius' fervent strained yelling.

"Snape!" Sirius growled, beyond frustrated. He ran a hand roughly through his hair, focusing his attention back on Dani, who was looking up at him with those startling yellow eyes. "I miss the hazel ones," he sighed earning a ghost of a smile. "You can hear me, then?"

She nodded slowly and began speaking again but he wasn't as fortunate to be able to hear her soft words. Sticking his ear below the water once more, he listened to her now husky voice. "Don't say that. Don't say whatever it is you're thinking of me right now."

"Why?" He was acutely aware that her anger had vanished and was replaced by fear.

"I—I'm scared. That I'll be stuck like this. Forever. And I don't want you saying anything that makes me think about it. And I know I was stupid for even acting like I was going to drink that potion."

Sirius chuckled and spun on the tub's edge, dipping his feet into the freezing water and biting back a curse. Holding his breath, he settled into the chest-deep water and motioned for her to come to him, which she begrudgingly did.

"It wasn't stupid. Much appreciated. I couldn't pull the look off like you can." He tucked another lock of hair behind her ear.

She frowned at his blatant disregard of her request. She spoke louder this time, allowing her voice to carry, however disoriented, to his ear. "I figured out that my vocal cords must have changed, too. That's why I sounded like a banshee and why I sound like this now. I'm glad Snape left before getting in trouble. You should go too."

"I'm not particularly fond of this flogged version of you. Get mad! Want to tear his limbs off! Scream, for Merlin's sake!!"

She tried to smile but her quivering chin wouldn't allow it and he wasn't sure but, he thought she was crying. "You better stop doing that, luv. Could drive a sane man nutters."

She rested her arms on his thighs, her fear momentarily forgotten. "Don't think I don't know that you talk to all the other hens around here the exact same way. I won't be falling for your charms."

"How 'bout swimming for them?" he quipped, unable to keep his teeth from chattering.

She set her bottom jaw forward and tweaked his sides maliciously, more vicious than tickling thanks to her harsh new appearance, until he finally asked for mercy through his barking laughter, unable to overcome her new-found strength.

"Hey, your eyes," he choked, trying to catch his breath.

"Don't remind me."

"No, they're returning to hazel."

She suddenly realized that her floppy tail was growing into segmented toes and the webbing on her fingers was shrinking. Raising her head from the water, she ran her tongue over her smoothing teeth and watched as her hair turned back to normal. "Well, that was quite the experience."

"Black!! Afton!! I _cannot_ believe what I'm _seeing_!"

Sirius shot to his feet but immediately had them slip out from under him causing an amazingly huge splash from his back flop. He graciously took Dani's offered hand to stand again and turned his eyes to a drenched Professor McGonagall.

"Professor, we—"

"Not. One. Word," she ordered, holding out her dripping cloak arms. "Your antics have grown far too tiresome, Mr. Black and Ms. Afton…well, I expected better from you. Both of you to Professor Dumbledore. Immediately!"

----_h----_

"I'm going to get so many howlers over this one," Danielle sighed, hanging her head in her hands. It was the night following their adventure together and the first they were able to see each other; Dumbledore had ordered her straight to the hospital wing where Sirius was now picking her up.

"I'm sorry for my outburst to Dumbledore. I don't think that helped."

She paused as he opened the door then stepped through saying, "I don't think anything we did helped."

"At least he gave us detention together."

She offered a noncommittal sound and began walking off.

"Hey," he said, grabbing her arm and her attention. "This in no way was your fault. I think he gave you detention too because he knows you'll make sure I get mine done as well. If you want, I'll even write a letter to your folks apologizing for corrupting their beautiful daughter."

She blushed. "I think you should leave the beautiful talk between you and me."

"You can keep me from saying it to your folks but you can't keep me from saying it in front of other students."

"Sirius," she warned, "you better not if you know what's good for you. I haven't decided if I'm not mad at you anymore."

"Surely you won't keep me from saying it in private," he growled close to her ear earning a smile she couldn't keep hidden.

"No."

"No?"

"No, I won't stop you, I mean. Double negative."

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they headed down the hall. "Do you believe him?"

"Dumbledore?"

"No Snivellus. He went straight to Dumbledore with his little story. Pretty impressive lie, even by my standards."

"Please don't call him that. And yes, I believe it was an accident. We had to use mermaid hairs for a potion and I guess Slughorn forgot to put them away."

They walked in silence for a bit. Then Sirius asked, "Did you hear Dumbledore banned _Moste Potent Potables _to the restricted section? I can't believe it."

She stopped and turned away from him. "I can," she said softly.

"Dani?" he turned her toward him and bent down to catch her gaze with his. "What's wrong?"

Rather than tell him, she pulled her collar away and revealed the gray-green, scaly skin that covered her shoulder. "Madame Pomfrey says it must be a result of the human to nonhuman transformation. She doesn't think it'll ever go away…. At least I didn't keep that awful voice," she joked, rubbing her throat self-consciously.

Sirius ran a thumb over her new skin and slipped his hand under hers at her neck. "I don't care what you think; Snape is going to pay for what his little _accident_ did to you."

"Sirius, please no. I don't want any trouble."

"For my sake or his?" He rested his forehead against hers and sighed, trying to release some of his growing anger. "Dani, now may not be the best time—"

"Please don't, Sirius. If you're going to do what I think you are, please don't. I don't want to remember it this way."

He smiled coltishly. "I agree. You've lost all your fighting spirit. But, just when you least expect it, I'm going to snatch my prize for saving you."

She scoffed and pushed lightly against his chest, her hand lingering longer than necessary. "Saving me? I'm just the trouble flavor of the month, admit it. That's the true prize. Once everyone knows I spent the evening as a fish, you'll want me hanging off your arm."

"Is that what you think I'm all about? That I want you as a trophy? I seem to recall a very late night in the library last week when I wanted you just as much and you still denied my advances."

"Then it was just for fun. Now," she whispered, "it'll be for sport." She turned on her heel, her curly hair flying wildly, and marched off.

"Let the games begin, luv."

_---h---_

Sirius found her back to her combative nature the next day as she exercised her prefect duties over a group of first years who'd sniggered at her when she passed. Her finger lost somewhere in the rumples of one particularly frightened freckle-faced boy's cloak as she chastised them, Sirius knew that all he had to do now was bide his time and he'd get what he wanted.

Tucking up behind the statue of the hunchbacked witch, he watched her from the shadows as she shooed the troop of kids away and blew a tuff of hair from her eyes. She hitched her bag higher on her shoulder and turned to walk down the hall past his hiding spot. Counting out her steps, he reached out and snatched her, pulling her into the dark alcove with him and covering her gasp with his hand.

"Afternoon, luv, happy to see me?"

He felt her face contort into a smile beneath his hand and he deemed it safe to let it fall, finding it comfortably fell to her waist.

"Don't cross me, Black, I'm not in the mood."

"Your smile betrays you." He leaned forward and bore his teeth as he snapped them together playfully. "I see the feisty's back."

Realization lit her eyes. "Here for your prize, are you?"

He came to a breath's distance from her face but then pulled back. "Not like this. Not with you thinking like that. Until later, Afton," he said, striding back and turning to leave. Shock and hope burned in him at the touch of her hand on his forearm.

"Sirius, wait," she ordered, stepping toward him as she pulled him closer by his arm. With a solid tug, she guided his hand to her waist and raised her hands to his neck. Rocking up on her toes, she moved into his arms as they curled around her letting them take some of her weight as Sirius lifted her slightly to him. Tangling her hands in his hair, she pulled his mouth toward hers, feeling her face grow hot and her heart pound. She knew Sirius had much more experience in this type of situation but, in all of her feelings of doubt and clumsiness, she wanted to control the coming touch as much as she could. She wanted her first kiss to be perfect, to remember every aspect of it and not feel as if she was just another girl to him. As her fingers quickly got lost in his shaggy hair, she tried to memorize how soft it was as she moved closer to him, her arms resting comfortably against his shoulders. And then she kissed him and he more than willingly let her.

Sirius wrapped his arms tighter around her middle, lifting her slightly more off her feet and bringing her crashing back to reality. Moving her hands to his arms, she pushed against them and giggled when it took him a few moments to understand and comply. She smoothly slipped her bag back on her shoulder, not quite able to remember when she dropped it or what day it was for that matter, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Eyes twinkling, she looked at Sirius who seemed as befuddled as she felt.

"That was…well, that was…wow," he said.

Blood rushed so fiercely to her head, she thought her ears would boil off. Then, squaring her shoulders and turning a smile to him, she offered, "Did you expect something less?" and brushed past him to march off to class.

Sirius crumbled against the wall beside the witch and raked a hand through his hair as he whistled low under his breath amazed when she turn and smiled at him.

Turning the corner, Dani collapsed against the wall, breathless and hot from everything that had just happened. She had never considered herself a bold person but for some reason, when she was with Sirius, she felt like she was invincible. And found herself doing anything to prove it. Touching icy fingers to her hot cheeks, she smiled and continued on her way to Charms.


	7. Charmed, I'm sure

I do believe this is my favorite chapter. Please enjoy. Same disclaimers, same sad story about no beta:(

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-----_h-----_

"Ms. Afton? Ms. Afton?!"

Dani jumped in her seat startled from her daydreaming about the kiss by the squeaky teacher's voice. Professor Flitwick was a slight man, was new to teaching but knew his stuff about Charms and Dani had quickly taken to him. The fact that she had been caught not listening embarrassed her, making her cheeks burn. She could honestly say that she loved her Head of House and never wanted to offend him.

"Yes, professor?"

"I was wondering if you'd join us in class and perform a Supersensory Charm."

Her ears hurt at the sniggering from the Slytherins in the classroom. Even Snape and Regulus seemed to be smiling at her but that could have been her wounded imagination over-thinking things.

Quickly, she performed the complicated spell which adequately silenced her spectators but immediately she regretted doing it for she could hear the softest sounds and was picking up on the slightest movements; at that moment, she wanted nothing more than to be lost in thought. She wasn't used to not paying attention but with kisses like that one with Sirius, she felt certain it wouldn't be the last class she'd lose focus in. Then her ears perked to some fervent whispering going on in the hall and, unfortunately for the whispers' owners, she knew exactly who they were and what they were discussing.

"…_bloody hell, Prongs, I've never been kissed like that."_

_James chuckled. "So you finally got the girl?"_

"_Guess so. Mark it off the 'things to-do' list, I s'pose."_

"_Brilliant. It's about time…"_

Dani's hand shot up immediately, upsetting the mini-wizard from his book podium as he oversaw the class's latest charm. Righting himself, he climbed back onto the stack and asked, "M—Ms. Afton? Is there something—"

"Yes, professor." She felt the burning eyes of everyone in the classroom on her as she continued. "Do you remember last week when you mentioned that the best way to know how to utilize charms would be in wand-to-wand combat?"

"Yes, but that was merely a statem—"

She continued resolutely. "I think I'm ready to try it out. And, if he wouldn't mind, which he won't because his ego's bigger than the Quidditch pitch, there's a fifth year in the hall that would be good to duel with."

Flitwick chortled and shook his head, "Dani, while you are the most gifted of the fourth years and possibly of all students at Hogwarts in Charms, I cannot permit—"

She interrupted, "It will be a good learning experience for the class as well as me. I promise not to hurt him too horribly bad."

"And who would you duel, Danielle?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Sirius Black."

_**-----h-----**_

Dani looked out the Burrow's window as she straightened the quilt on Percy's bed after her nap. Molly had consented to letting her use Percy's bedroom since she had R.J. and the young mother was deeply grateful to not be bothering Hermione and Ginny anymore.

The isolation of the new room, however, forced her to think over the past few days, as much as her years at Hogwarts, far too much and she needed to get away from the screaming silence. There were definitely favorite memories that warmed her dreams that no amount of bitterness could ever take away from her, though. Finally convincing dear Professor Flitwick to allow her to duel Sirius was tops on the list.

**---**_**h----**_

"Swish three times and then stab the air with your wand and your apples will turn into—" Minerva McGonagall stopped as a tremendous ruckus echoed down the hall outside her classroom. Rushing to the door she started as a rather large mahogany table came galloping along the passage, chasing a very flustered group of second years.

De-enchanting the runaway furniture, her attention quickly moved to the other end of the hall where the bright glow of spells could be seen bouncing off the great stone walls of Hogwarts. Rushing to the commotion, she fought her way through to the front of the pack of students watching the fight and found a very flustered Flitwick coaching two students that were completely ignoring him.

"Filius!! What is the meaning of this?" she shouted over the din of Dani's exploding charm against a suit of armor, narrowly missing Sirius' shoulder.

"A bit of hands-on learning?" he squeaked, running his fingers through his white hair. "…gone awry, I'm afraid," he mumbled.

"Colôris puniceus!" Dani yelled, dodging Sirius' spell and hooting in delight, along with her fellow Ravenclaws, when Sirius turned head to toe the color of a Chinese Fireball dragon.

Sirius' eye diminished to slits as he growled deep in his throat and wildly chased after her, miffed when the crowd spilt to let her escape. "Just what is your problem, Afton?!"

She turned to face him, wand poised over her head ready to jinx him. "You, Sirius Black! You and your….your loose tongue!...Langlock!" she shouted, grateful for her friendship with Snape which had allowed her to know the spell.

Sirius looked like he'd popped a quaffle in his mouth as he tried to get his tongue to loosen from its roof. The rest of the crowd, including McGonagall and Flitwick, finally caught up to them making Sirius all the more enraged. Shooting a pleading but I-really-don't-want-help look at James, he tried to send non-verbal jinxes at Dani with all falling short of her triumphant smirk.

Suddenly, he felt his tongue loosen and saw his skin flash back to normal before spying James' wand dip back beneath his robes in the next instant. Unfortunately, so did Danielle who promptly jelly-leg jinxed James, sending him dancing into the crowd of witches and wizards.

"Danielle," Professor Flitwick admonished, quickly setting the wayward wizard right. "Only Mr. Black!"

"Sorry, Professor!" she chimed before dashing off again to find a more open space. She took a hard right and found herself on the Grand Staircase. Behind her, Sirius' booming voice called out a charm she had never heard and then, to her shock, she found her feet flying out from under her as gold bubbles tickled and bounced against her feet and ankles. As she tumbled down a flight of stairs, she remembered the tiny Charms professor using a similar spell to decorate at Christmas.

Stopping hard on the landing with a loud "oomph," she blinked back the tears and shot an errant spell from the hip causing a shower of gold sparks to rain down on the arriving group of spectators. She shook her head and tried again, this time sending a troop of otters from her wand and up the steps, swarming Sirius' legs.

"No fair!" Sirius shouted. "Oppugno is a seventh year spell!"

"Guess so. Mark it off the '_things to-do'_ list, I s'pose," she recited, shakily climbing to her feet.

Sirius' eyes grew as big as the moon. He would have to think back on the next few seconds over the following few days to remember just what happened then. "Expelliarmus!" he yelled, successfully disarming his opponent.

Dani ran down the next flight of stairs to retrieve her wand. When she got to the landing, she heard Sirius' booming voice, "Locomotor Mortus!" before her legs grew stiff and stuck to each other.

Sirius quickly vaulted down the stairs and clothes-lined her at the waist, taking her through a fake tapestry to a hidden stairwell. "Glisseo!" he exclaimed, immediately turning the stairs into a smooth slide allowing them to quickly and safely navigate the passageway.

Finally they stopped in the hallway outside the kitchens, Dani tumbling a good distance away from him from the extra force due to his thumping into her and the fact that she couldn't use her legs to slow her momentum. Breathlessly, she shook her head again, resting her hand against her forehead, trying to keep the room from spinning. Unfortunately, surprises were still in store for her.

"Accio Dani!" Sirius called, holding out his arm as she slid toward him. "Finite Incantatem."

Dani kicked her feet against the ground, testing to see if they still worked and pushed harshly against Sirius' side with little success.

"Stop your fidgeting, woman, and listen to me!"

She huffed and sat up next to him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You are a fiery one, aren't you?" he quipped, sitting up as well. When she didn't respond, he continued, "I don't know what you thought I meant by what I said to Prongs, but—didn't you hear me compliment you? Doesn't that get me some points?"

She wrinkled her nose. "What does that matter when I'm merely an item on your 'to-do' list?"

Sirius sighed. "What if you _were _the list? What if I told you that I've had my eye on you since I first noticed you at the Quidditch pitch and I've been exhausting my brains trying to figure out how to impress you? And what finally does it for you? _You_ saving _my_ skin!" He hooked her robes' collar with his finger and pulled it to the side revealing the new scales there. "Literally."

She giggled and he sighed again.

"I really love that sound. I didn't mean anything by what I said, truly. I'm sorr—"

"Don't you dare apologize, Sirius Black. That'll make me feel guiltier than I do. Don't worry; all is forgiven. Forgive me?" she asked softly, leaning toward him and running her finger along his jaw line. She turned his face to hers and kissed him sweetly. Her skin burned from the touch of his fingers on her neck as he ran his fingers up from the collar of her robes.

"Mr. Black, Ms. Afton," Minerva McGonagall's voice was shrill and short on breath. "Detention."

**-----**_**h-----**_

Sirius finished making Pip his sandwich and licked a glob of peanut butter from the knife before cutting the crust off the bread and placing it on the table in front of R.J.. The little boy smiled up at him and motioned with his hand over the bread which Sirius mirrored, cutting the sandwich into quarters.

Remus watched the proceedings quietly, taking note of his friend's actions with a smirk. "You two seem to have bonded. What's brought this on?"

Sirius licked the sticky jelly off his fingers and laughed, "I thought I should start connecting with the only person here on my mental level. And even with that, I still think he's more mature than me." Sirius popped the discarded crust into his mouth and poured R.J. a glass of milk. "Is his name really Rickett Jacoby?"

Moony nodded slowly. "After his father, I hear. I think Rickett was his mother's maiden name or something."

"And it was so nice, they used it twice? I think I'll stick to calling him Pip. Besides, R.J. brings back bad memories." He stole a sip of milk and messed the boy's hair as Remus laughed. His ears perked at the sound of soft footsteps on the stairs. Knowing that everyone else was outside, he felt his grin grow as Dani's legs came into view followed by her nap-rumpled clothes and bedraggled hair. Thinking back on some of the better times between them, Sirius realized, had softened his heart again towards her.

Entering the kitchen quietly, she looked at the men there and emotion quickly filled her eyes. Sirius stood and smiled at her. It was good to see that innocent look from her countenance again. It was the same one she had after that infamous duel that had half the school watching them kiss in the hallway which promptly led to their second detention together.

Her vision was swimming now. Rushing toward the table, pushing chairs out of the way, she brushed past Sirius and straight into the waiting arms just for her. "Bill, I've missed you so much!"

_**----h----**_

Sirius shifted his weight on the stool and threw out his hands to keep from falling off it. Everyone at the Burrow was now sitting in the cramped kitchen making it far too warm for Padfoot but he bit his tongue since he wanted to figure out this new turn of events.

Dani had cried into Bill shoulder for a long time, long after Pip finished his snack, before the eldest Weasley son finally got her settled down and into a chair. The lightning bugs were out now, dotting the dusky sky that could be seen from the windows. Molly seemed just as overcome to see her eldest son as Dani but she kept her crying captured in her handkerchief.

"Magic-Elle, you've got to stop doing this," Bill whispered, taking a squirming R.J. into his lap and hugging him close. "I think we have a drove of people wanting to know what this is about."

She sniffed and raised her eyes first to Molly and then the other adults, somehow missing Sirius'.  
"Bill and I were working in Egypt together a few years ago after I got a job at Gringotts. Imagine my shock when I found out one of the kids I babysat all those years ago would be my trainer as a curse breaker. But Bill was great, made me…made me forget the pain…," she trailed off, not wanting to mention what was on her mind.

Sirius rubbed the back of his neck, imagining he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"We had grand adventures together. We took weekly trips out among the muggles, meeting them, watching them, even making friends. We grew really close to one couple—Rick and Natalie Weston—and we went everywhere together. They—they had a sweet little boy that I just loved from the moment I met him." She took R.J. from Bill's lap and held him close. "We still don't know how it happened." Her tears began anew and she rested her cheek against the top of R.J.'s head.

Bill continued for her. "We were working on a particularly nasty curse one day when we heard from a coworker that a couple of muggles had set off the detection charms. We went to check it out and saw, to our horror, that Rick and Nat had come to visit us at the site and wandered where they shouldn't. They encountered a very vicious curse and we tried to get to them, to rescue them, but we saw to our shock that baby R.J. was stuck in the thick of things. We saved him, the two of us but—"

"But not before his parents were killed," Dani finished flatly. Sirius saw the hurt and shame in her eyes, could see that she felt responsible for it all. He opened his mouth to offer a witty condolence but quickly closed it as he watched Bill lean close to whisper something in her ear. It wasn't Sirius' job anymore to take care of her and it stung.

"Somewhere along the way I'd promised Natalie that, if anything happened to her, I'd take care of R.J.. I just didn't realize I'd be the cause of her death." She stood and carried the now sleeping R.J. to the stairs and up to their room.

Bill slumped back in his chair and rubbed the back of his neck. The kitchen grew quiet, everyone looking to Bill for something more. Everyone except Sirius whose eyes intently followed a hurt witch who seemed to feel the world was against her. A hurt witch who, wanting it or not, instantly had become a mother.


	8. Stoke the Fire

Ahh, thank you so much for the reviews!! Quick reviews means quick updates! Enjoy, h.

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----_h----_

Dani tucked the blanket tighter around her son and made certain that his Wubby, a beat-up elephant, was tucked in as well before quietly leaving the bedroom. The silence was too oppressive for her in the tiny space even with the comforting evenness of her son's breathing filling the void. She'd opened a wound far too deep today which caused a rush of bad memories to flood her mind.

There were so many tainted thoughts between she and Sirius, no wonder the two of them hadn't made it. How could he have thought she was evil? But then, a horrible thought hit her hard in the stomach. She had thought the same thing about him.

_----h----_

29 years earlier

"Mrs. Black, it's so nice to finally meet you. Sirius has told me so many…things about you." She glanced to her boyfriend of a few months and wanted to pinch his "nice save" smirk from his face.

"Sirius tells me that you're a pureblood."

Dani stuttered, "I—I guess that's true. As true as it can be for this day and age, I suppose."

Mrs. Black sipped her tea and eyed the girl. "As pure as it has ever been."

"Yes, ma'am, that's true," she said slowly as if she were savoring the words.

Sirius noticed Dani sit straighter, take a deep breath and smile a smile he'd never noticed on her face before. "Dani's half Irish," he said.

"Is that so?" Sirius never knew his mother to put this much thought towards a conversation with him before. Maybe she was sick.

"Yes," Dani replied, leaning forward toward the matriarch of the Black clan. "Between you, me, and the scones, the bloodlines were getting a tad…thick in our parts. So Da went off and found himself an Irish witch, making sure to get her papers before he consented to marry."

"Smart man."

"Aye. And it's a good thing, too. Me grandparents had lined him up to marry my fourth cousin Tessie. Poor girl," she sighed, brushing hair from her face.

Sirius took note of the thickening of her accent and wondered what exactly was going on.

She turned to him and offered a hidden wink.

"And why is that?" Mrs. Black asked, perhaps a glimmer of interest hidden there.

"She went off and married herself a horrible muggle. Not spoken to the girl since."

Mrs. Black's eyes flashed momentarily as if excited before she excused herself to the loo.

Sirius flicked Dani's shoulder with his finger.

"Ow!" she laughed, rubbing her arm.

"How could you say all that?" he hissed.

"Well, it's true. The muggle she married controls her completely. She's not allowed to practice her magic unless it's for him. He won't let her have any contact with us. I hate the man."

Sirius sat back and shook his head, "A fact you conveniently left out. Why are you trying to impress Mother? And what's with the accent?"

"Because I love her son so much. And because if I'm going to play a part, I want to lay it on thick."

"You love me?"

She frowned. "Well, I thought I did but then you went and were stupid about it." She giggled when he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her back to him.

Turning her in his arms, he kissed her through her giggles, chuckling himself as she wiggled in his arms. "I guess I love my little fish too, then."

"You guess?" she shot, tweaking his side and laughing at his bark of protest. Stifling the noise with her hand and then her mouth, she couldn't keep the smile from her lips.

"Finished?"

Hearing Regulus, Dani jumped away from Sirius and to the other side of the couch, shooting a nasty look at Sirius as he smugly looked at his brother. She rubbed the back of her hand against her mouth and muttered something about turning in early.

Regulus waited until she was gone before smirking at his brother. "You really seem to love that girl."

Sirius nodded.

"And would do anything for her?"

­-----_h-----_

Danielle rubbed at her stomach trying to get the murkiness to settle but couldn't. She'd been walking around in her room since the late tea with Mrs. Black and Sirius but the tinge wouldn't go away and she needed to do something about it. So quietly, she rounded the stair landing and padded quickly down to the kitchen to find something to settle her tummy. However, when a voice carried to her from the room, she stopped short from the bottom of the stairs. Mrs. Black's heavy timbre was commanding the air making it thick to breathe and Dani found herself holding her breath so as not to take it in.

Then, Sirius' rich voice cut through the space. "Mother, you don't understand her like I do."

"Is that so?"

"It is."

"She is a pureblood."

"Yes. Did you hear her at dinner? She's ready. The Dark Lord will be so thrilled to have another in his ranks."

Danielle's heart jumped to her throat. What was she hearing?

"She doesn't know of your plans, then?"

"No. And she can't. I can't have it happening any other way."

"When do you plan to tell her?"

"Soon. Tonight."

"Then tonight she will become one of the privileged few whether she goes willingly or not."

Stumbling backwards against the steps, Dani bit back her sobs and scrambled back up the stairs, hoping she wasn't heard. She had to think, had to make her mind realize what he was saying. What _was_ he saying? Danielle had to force herself to breathe again and was finding it difficult. Tumbling into her room, she dissolved into sobs on the floor. A decision had to be made and whatever it was, she knew she'd probably lose Sirius. She couldn't let that happen.

Was he kidding as she had been earlier? He didn't sound like it. Was he only saying what he thought he wanted his mother to hear? No. He sounded serious. He sounded dark.

_-----h-----_

Dani pressed cold fingers to her neck as she thought back to that terrible night. She had later gone to Sirius' room to find him lying on his bed and when he asked to see her arm, she just assumed he was going to give her the Mark. Yet, where she had forgiven and forgotten Sirius seemed to have turned his misconceptions into vicious fury.

Of course, she knew that he liked to hold grudges and shouldn't have been surprised that she was the recipient of part of his rancor. She would never say she was completely innocent but she wasn't as bad as he made her to be. He had loved her or she thought he had, after all.

She noticed, thankfully, as she headed down the stairs that the Burrow throng had gone outside so she wouldn't have to answer any painful questions. She could hear Bill's booming laugh as he raced around the yard on a broom. He had always loved doing that.

The noise was good, but the questioning stares weren't and she found herself in the all too familiar den that she often migrated to. She didn't know why. Perhaps it was the smell that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Perhaps it was something subconscious. But, whatever it was, it made her feel warm inside like the world could right itself one day.

-----_h-----_

Sirius slowly walked into the den and watched Dani as she sat before the fire, her legs curled up beside her. She was still the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen.

"Hey," he said softly, regretting it when she visibly jumped; he hated to disturb her but, if he didn't do it now, he never would.

His anger was long gone, replaced now by the hurt and longing. He knew Dani. He knew what her silence meant. At least, he hoped he did. "I went and saw that R.J.'s asleep. I've grown rather fond of that little tyke."

"Please," she whispered, "please don't break his heart, too."

Biting back a sarcastic retort, he murmured, "First time wasn't my fault. Second was poorly executed."

She nodded slowly but still didn't look at him.

He strolled over to her until his knees were brushing against her hair. "Y'know, I was watching him today play with the older kids, Harry wouldn't let him on a broom and Pip got wicked mad. And then the next moment Harry and Ron had grabbed his little hands and were teaching him backflips and he was nothing but giggles."

"What's your point, Sirius?" She wiped at her cheeks and continued staring at the fire.

"The point is, and I can't believe I'm saying this but, I'm jealous of a three year old little boy."

She tilted her head back and gave him her patented "what are you going on about?" look.

"Hear me out," he began, hoping he had her well enough distracted to initiate the second part of his plan. Kneeling in front of her, he ran a thumb into one of her ringlets and scrunched the hair with his fingers. "I'm jealous of him because, in an instant, he can forget all the evils ever done to him and be happy." Extending his fingers, he touched her hairline and smiled as she involuntarily shivered. _Good, _he thought, _phase three. _

Shifting his weight, he put one propped up leg behind her back and the other over her curled up legs essentially trapping her. Resting his arms on his knees, he continued, "It's one thing to forget it's the forgiving part that, I think, we don't remember how to do because forgetting is easy." She didn't respond; he continued. "And, I don't know if you ever will forgive me but I'm willing to strike a deal—I promise to say I'm sorry at least six dozen unique ways and beg for forgiveness twice. Once on my knees if I need to." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and raised an eyebrow when she put her fist against his chest.

"Don't," she mumbled, "I want to still be mad at you."

"Even after that brilliant speech, luv?" He caught a glimmer of a smile cross her face and hope kindled in his chest. "Dani, I don't think there's anyone that could love me like you can and I don't want there to be."

She finally gave in and the rigidness in her back dissolved as she nestled against his shoulder. Lightly, she pounded against his chest a few times with her fist, lost in thought. He tilted her face to his then slipped his hand to her waist. Cradling her head in the crook of his elbow, he pulled his arm closer bringing her mouth to his. Her fingers curled in the fabric of his shirt and he felt the last of her anger dissolve. But the tears on her cheeks told him the pain, her pain, was just as deep as his had been.

Dani moaned quietly and he smiled against her mouth. "Yes?" he asked.

"Sirius, I think we need to go talk to your mother."

He pulled away. "Well there's a mood killer if I've ever heard one."

"I'm serious. Before we can move on, we need to figure out what happened. Please? For—"

"Mummy, mummy!! Nightmare!" R.J. ran into the room flushed and sweaty, his little fists balled as he rubbed at his eyes.

Sirius, holding out his arms, beckoned the boy over to them and chuckled when he was hit with the full force of the child's weight. He held the boy tightly with one arm, his other still wrapped around Dani's shoulders and suddenly he realized that this was something that he wanted, that this was the something more that had been missing from his life.

"Why did it take me so long?" he asked quietly, kissing the little boy on the head then kissing Dani's temple.

She sighed and nuzzled the tears away from Pip. Knowingly, she replied, "I don't think it was right for either of us until this moment."

The couple stood, Sirius taking Pip and holding him at his side as he wrapped an arm around Dani's shoulders, leading her outside. They ignored the stares and whisperings as they headed to the closest apparating point and vanished with a hollow pop.

"Who had today at 4:50?" Fred quipped, staring at his bare wrist.

"Fred, I do believe your watch is fast. I only have a quarter to a freckle," George replied. "That makes me the winner."

Mrs. Weasley swatted their shoulders in turn but couldn't hide the smile from her face. "Honestly you two."

"C'mon mum," Fred said, leaning an elbow on Ron's shoulder. "We all know you invited Dani here, admit it! You wanted them back together."

"I admit nothing," she responded sheepishly though everyone could see the twinkle in her eyes.


	9. The portrait paints a picture

Well, here's the end of it all. I don't know if it's my most favorite ending I've written but like all my stories, this was the start of the entire tale--endings come first then it's up to my brain to get there. Thanks for reading and reviewing, it means the world to me!

Nothing recognizable is mine.

_

* * *

_

_----h-----_

"Dani, I really didn't think to ask because I was so elated to be snogging again, but did you say we need to speak to mother?"

"I did. Which is why we're here." She waited for Sirius to look around and take note of their surroundings. The last time they were both there together was the night when they were teenagers. "I assume that horrid portrait is still hanging in the hall?"

Sirius looked puzzled, "How do you know about that? She hung it after I left."

"One of the Weasleys mentioned it in passing," she answered as she lead them to number 12 Grimmauld place and waited for Sirius to perform the proper spells to get them inside. She had to tell him her plan three times before he finally agreed to it. That, and apologize for lying to him.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, "but it's not real. See, it doesn't move." She held out her arm for him to study the fake Dark Mark that she'd given herself. Real or fake, she'd promised to never put the mark on her body.

"Remus taught you this?"

"Yes. We have to use it sometimes when we go undercover with the werewolves."

"And it will come off?"

She nodded slowly as her eyes followed his thumb rubbing over her forearm. She took a stiff breath. "Let's do this before I lose my nerve." She stood from her seat on the floor and moved in front of the moth-eaten curtains. Glancing at Sirius as he rose, she smiled faintly as he took R.J. in his arms and held him close. "Now or never."

"Mrs. Black!"

The curtains flew open and the ugly, ogre-like, contorted face of Mrs. Walburga Black began her screeching and wailing.

"Mrs. Black, stuff it! There are no blood traitors or mudbloods here!"

The portrait stiffened. "How dare you—"

"How dare _you, _you crazy old troll! I am one of the Dark Lord's most trusted advisors and you dare speak to me like that!"

The painted eyes grew large but the woman seemed to be listening.

"I need to know what happened that night that I left when I was a teen. The night Sirius—"

"Blood traitor!"

"Mrs. Black," Dani warned through clenched teeth. "The Dark Lord has no time for your antics. The night that Sirius moved in with the Potter family. I need to know what happened that night."

"Why? Why would he want to know about my dead son?"

"Because, Sirius is not dead and the Dark Lord wants him to come into the fold. He wants to know his secrets."

"I heard those blood traitors talking; he's dead."

Dani's eyes flashed and she leaned forward, her hands resting on her hips. "Well, he came back and now the Dark Lord wants to know why. He's using me to get to him but I can't figure that out unless you tell me what you did." She paused, trying to figure how to get the next bit out. "It almost worked, did you know that? If you'd just let me in on the plan to use me to turn Sirius. You could sense my true beliefs, couldn't you? Now, _you need to tell me what you did_!"

The portrait pursed her lips and replied with glistening eyes, "He was such a good boy."

"Who? Regulus? What did you two do that night?"

"I've seen what that no good filth allowed to go on in my house! Who he let in. Blood traitors! He'll never side with the true side!"

"Yes he will," Dani yelled over the woman's screaming. "Like any man, with the proper persuasion, he'll see the error of his ways. Tell me your plan from back then."

"Regulus and I weren't certain if you'd go along with it, we didn't know how fully you were willing to follow the true path, so we had to stage two performances. Having Regulus turn into Sirius wasn't any problem. We waited for you to come to the kitchen, Regulus drank the potion and we had our little discussion for your ears only. Unfortunately, you went and locked yourself away. We couldn't wait. So I called in one of my favorite nieces for a little help."

"Bellatrix," Dani whispered.

"Yes. She almost gave it away when she licked her Dark Mark; she always had a bizarre fixation with it. She more than willingly got another placed on her after she transformed into you. But that no-good-dead son of mine took it as a sign that you'd taken an interest in my beloved son. Oh! If that had only been the case! The pure blood would have continued!"

"Regulus is dead, Mrs. Black," Dani replied flatly, lost in thought.

The portrait began her wailing again and Sirius rushed over struggling to cover it. Finally, after several moments' fight, he covered the painting and crumpled against the wall. "You're brilliant," he whispered, "scary, but brilliant."

She grinned but wrinkled her forehead. "Get this off my arm, please?"

After a quick spell, Dani rubbed at her reddened skin gingerly and smiled at her son who seemed to think everything that just happened had been a grand game. He clapped his hands excitedly and wobbled around on his feet, imitating the woman behind the curtains.

"Let's get out of here," Sirius finally said, stepping over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

­---_h----_

Sirius closed the front door and followed Dani down the front steps feeling lighter than he had in years. For once in his life, everything seemed right with his world. Yes, there was a war raging and yes he knew of the prophesy that awaited his godson but he felt like, at that moment, he truly would conquer the world.

"_Crucio!"_

Dani dropped to the ground, writhing in agony. White hot pain blinded her as she tried to gather her wits and figure out how to fight against the curse. She had to fight. She had to find R.J. and Sirius and beat whoever attacked them.

And then she heard the feral growl of a large animal. Fear overtook her, surpassing the agony and she needed to act on it, to see what was happening. Rolling over, she saw a haunting face that she'd become all too familiar with over the years on her many trips to the werewolves. Fenrir Greyback. Her eyes fell on the face of her torturer, the shocking white hair all she needed to see to know who it was.

"Don't take it too far, Narcissa. Leave some fight in her for me," snarled the werewolf.

Dani groaned and tried to fight the vicious curse but found herself weakening too fast. Bright white lights popped in her eyes making her vision swim. Suddenly, warm black fur filled her face and she momentarily felt a reprieve from the torture. She realized the beast in front of her was growling low in its throat but she wasn't scared of it; the noise made her feel safe and protected.

Closing her eyes, she heard the fighting begin between two creatures. Ferocious and severe, the battle seemed like a nightmare and she made her eyes open, forcing herself to watch. Realization started to clear her mind as she discovered that the animal that was fighting on her behalf wasn't a beast but Sirius, battling the cruel werewolf bodily as much as with wands.

"Sirius," she called weakly. "This is my fault. I've gotta help."

"Want to bet?"

Searing pain screamed across her mind and all went black.

­_----h----_

Dani sniffed and ran a finger across her nose to stop the stream of tears that were dripping off onto the surface below her. There was a reason why she told Sirius in Azkaban that she was going away; she couldn't take the fighting, any kind of fighting, anymore. And here she was, battling against death and probably costing R.J. his life as well as another mother. And where was Sirius? Dead too? She couldn't think, couldn't remember what was happening or what had happened.

She didn't want to think. She wanted to lay on the ground that felt vaguely cool and comfortable against her raw cheek and not reflect about anything. But she couldn't. Again, R.J. and Sirius flooded her wooly mind. Their smiles, though they weren't related, their smiles were the exact same. Like they just caught mischief and were trying to decide what to do with it. Sirius would have been a great father to R.J., Dani decided as she listened to the world jumbling and twisting around her. Was that a spell? Who was still fighting? Were they fighting?

She realized her eyes weren't open and slowly she parted her lids, finding a perfect smile, as if its owner had just caught mischief.

"Morning, luv," he whispered. "You gave us quite a fright." Sirius' arms were curled up under his chin as he lay on his stomach, watching her slowly acclimate herself to the living once more. He had taken up his vigil in the bed right next to her once they got her home and had hardly moved as he watched her fight to find her way back to him. Most of the times, he was alone. Other times, like now, Pip crawled into bed with them, climbing on top of Sirius like he was merely part of the bed and falling asleep on his favorite new person's back. It reaffirmed to Sirius that he was beyond thankful to be alive.

She felt like she had puffskeins in her mouth and bowtruckles in her throat. Raspy, she whispered, "Are we dead?"

"No, luv."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I've been dead before and it doesn't feel like this."

"Oh. I guess I'll have to take your word."

He wiped his finger across her cheek, stopping another flow of tears. "You had us worried. You've been sleeping for days."

"Frightened and scared? Didn't know Sirius Black had it in him," she whispered. "What happened?"

"I apparated back to the Burrow, left Pip, brought a couple Order members, dueled, and several memory modifying charms later the Ministry is none the wiser. Believe me, I felt like I'd ripped my heart out when I left you but I needed to get Pip to safety."

Dani realized that her son was situated on Sirius' back, watching her calmly with his big gray eyes, mimicking Sirius' position perfectly. Tweaking his cheek before moving her hand to Sirius' face she whispered, "Thank you for saving him from that."

He chuckled making the little boy squeal with delight from the rumbling under his ear. "Y'know, I didn't even mean to do it. For some reason the first thing I thought was 'get Pip out of here' and I found myself at that Burrow."

The corners of her mouth turned upward slightly and she sighed, closing her eyes against the overwhelming sleep that was fogging her mind.

"We've kept you on a steady diet of sleeping potions so you can heal properly. You'll be perfect in another twelve hours or so."

She nodded slowly and moved her hand to his wrist, wrapping her fingers around it in a feeble grip. Sleep slurred her words when she spoke. "I'm not afraid to admit I need you so know what I mean when I ask you to let me hold on to you while I fall asleep?"

"Wild trolls couldn't pull me away, luv."

­­_-----h-----_

Dani stepped softly out the door to the glorious summer day. The kids were flying low overhead, excitedly talking about the coming year at Hogwarts. Ginny waved enthusiastically at Dani who waved back and continued her search. It had taken some urging but she finally had worked out of the others the truth of what happened at Grimmauld Place, Sirius threatening pain and death if any of them told her the truth. It had been Ginny to finally reveal that Narcissa Malfoy mentioned a portrait in her house that housed a likeness of Mrs. Black and, as soon as they closed the curtains, she rushed to the Malfoys to confirm what she'd discussed with Dani and Narcissa and Fenrir immediately acted.

She turned at the side of the house to find Sirius watching R.J. chase luckless gnomes back into their homes earning a peal of laughter from the child. She enjoyed the look of joy that colored Sirius' face as she walked over to them.

Sirius leaned against the low garden wall and patted the spot next to him. He frowned when she didn't comply. "Am I malodorous in some way?"

Chuckling, she wrapped her arms around her middle and replied, "The view's nicer over here."

He grinned and called R.J. over to him, plucking him up into his arms when he was in reach. "Pip and I were discussing things earlier and we decided, if it's okay with you, to start calling him Rick."

"R.J. too bad a memory for you?" she inquired, her eyebrow raised.

"Something like that. But I remember you called his father Rick so I thought it would be a good memory for us all to be reminded how he came to us."

"To us?" Dani's words were soft and innocent.

"Why don't you go play with Harry, Rick?" He set the boy down and waited for him to bounce over to the others.

She looked at the man that she'd fallen back in love with as he ignored her for the more interesting garden gnomes.

"Sir?"

Without looking up, the wizard responded, "Yes, Dan?"

She thought before asking her question. She wanted his attention but the dog was too wrapped up in the magic tubers to devote his mind to her. "I have a question for you."

"Which is?" He toed one of the gnomes away from a head of lettuce but refused to look up. She couldn't be certain but she thought she detected a smirk in his words.

"Will you--"

"Yes, I will." Another toed-away gnome.

_I will… what?_ She frowned. "I haven't even asked you yet."

"But I know what you're going to ask me."

"Which is?"

Finally, he looked at her. "Will you marry me, of course."

Her face flushed. "I was just going to ask if you'd tell me why you call him Pip."

He looked back down at the ground and gently kicked another gnome away. "Sure you were."

Again, she thought before asking a question. "You want to marry me?"

"You were the one that asked." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small box, placed it on the wall next to her and pushed it toward her. Again, he annoyingly didn't look up as she opened the box.

_Wow! How long--? _Her brilliant response? "I did not… What do you want to marry me for, anyway?"

"So I can kiss you whenever I want."

"Oh." _Well, that seemed like a silly reason._

"Is that a yes?"

Plainly, she said with a shrug, "Yes. Sirius?"

"Yes?" He looked at her again, a pleased smile brightening his face. He leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees.

She mirrored him, closing the distance to inches, knowing she had him where she wanted. The gnomes forgotten, the hot pairs of eyes on them from across the garden ignored, she had all his attention and she knew what to say. "I still want to know why you call him Pip."


End file.
